Stroke

Stroke and swallowing

04/27/2007

Question:

My mother who is 78 had a mild stroke about a year ago. Since then she has had difficulty in swallowing but her saliva production is still going great. She drools a lot and has to keep towels around all of the time to wipe up her drooling. We have tried a couple of medicines, but none have stopped or slowed down the production. Can you help? Thanks

Answer:

Hi. One medicine that has been successful with the drooling is botulinum toxin A (BTOX). There is a very good evidence base (over 11 studies) with its use in stroke and other brain injuries in adults and children, including drooling. I would check with your physiatrist (MD who specializes in rehabilitation) about this.

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